Bloody Black Dragon
by ZDrive
Summary: Alice doesn't like NOT being a chain, and feels weak. But when The Will of the Abyss decides to drag her down to the Abyss and turns Alice into a real chain, danger lurks extra dark and sinister at every corner. The Baskervilles, Glen/Leo, the Will, and a new chain cause chaos. Oz needs Alice more than a partner or friend, but Alice might not agree...because she lost her memories.
1. Chapter 1

**BLOODY BLACK DRAGON**

_**I do not own 'Pandora Hearts', sadly enough, and I have no idea why I am doing this new Fanfic when I am still writing others for Teen Titans. Sigh, oh well. So, here I am, writing for Pandora Hearts because my two friends decided to get me obsessed with it, and I hate being obsessed with something because it pulls me away from my school work and it feels like I'm always high (to be honest I don't know what being high feels like, so I'm just guessing) but feels rotten inside, like a sugar over load is slowly but surely rotting your teeth. Weird, huh? Ahem, anyways, I doubt most of you have read this little author's note, so I'll get straight to the story. I now welcome myself into the world of Pandora Heart's fanfiction.**_

_**Oh, also, this is set after Jack took over Oz's body and killed that crazy guy and Elliot died, and before Oz got his, Jack's, Alice's, and a bit of Lacie's memories and rejected Alice. Just saying, important!**_

_**Swaggin' Out,**_

_**Z**_

Chapter 1:

Alice was confused.

She didn't know if the Will of the Abyss either hated her or adored her. Isn't that why Cheshire had been after her that time? She didn't know anymore, and it frustrated her to no end. Was it the like/hate (she refused to call it love) she had with Gilbert, or the creep-me-out-and-I'll-punch-you relationship with the Clown? It was certainly not the sisterly friendship like she had with Sharon or her relationship with…with Oz…

Alice cursed and rolled over in her large lavender bed, glaring at the creased red dome of cloth above her. Definitely not. Alice had found herself carefully avoiding Oz since the incident with Jack killing that crazy maniac who wanted to be killed with an impossible, spectacular event in front of him. Crazy old fool.

She knew it wasn't Oz who had done it, but that was what scared her. Jack had been there, had taken him over, and from recent events, Alice had a suspicious feeling that Jack wasn't what he seemed to be. A hero, a beautiful person on the inside, you know! Something about him started tweaking in the back of her head about him when she watched him murder with utter calm.

Not that she hadn't done that before in the Abyss with other Chains, but hell, that didn't really count because they didn't exactly have souls. She did, of course, since she had once been human. But this was _Oz_, for goodness sake. He wouldn't hurt a fly. It had all been Jack, Jack with that sweet, icily calm smile on his face as he held out a glove hand and pierced a sharp chain into the man's chest…

Alice suppressed a small shudder and sighed, throwing off the sheets and rolling out of bed. She needed to think about it later, because if she wasn't mistaken, she could smell the bread baking downstairs for breakfast…

Ha! Who was she kidding?! The power of the B-Rabbit was barely inside her anymore, not to mention the heighted senses that came with it, and this…this made her _mad. _What was with this anyways? She was supposed to have all the power and protect her weak little servant, not the other way around…!

Sigh. No, she shouldn't get all worked up about it, especially when it wasn't exactly Oz's fault, but she hated not having possession over her own powers, it was like…like they never had been hers in the first place. It made her feel…

…_weak_…

Damn!

She would not cry, she would not cry, no, no, no.

Alice sniffed and wiped at her eyes roughly. Gritting her teeth and pushed all the way off the rumpled bed and picked out her regular attire, she pranced around the room in her underwear and a large button up blue shirt which slide off her pale white shoulder constantly. She slipped on her boots and walked out of her room, running down stairs, heading straight for the dining room.

"There you are, you stupid rabbit," said Gil in his way of greeting Alice when she entered the dining room. "We all thought something had happened, you never miss a meal, glutton."

Alice's chest flamed with the prospect of a fight, something she enjoyed immensely since she usually won, especially when in the Abyss, but it was quickly squashed when she saw Oz.

_Jack…who are you?_

"Alice?"

Alice looked away to meet Sharon's worried, soft eyes. "Is anything the matter?"

Alice swallowed when she felt all eyes on her, even the idiot Clown's, but the one that burned the most was Oz's emerald gaze.

"No."

It was firm enough that everyone turned back to their business, though Sharon kept on shooting her stressed looks, and Oz just wouldn't _look away._

Alice snarled at the blonde haired youth. "What?" She snapped.

Oz quickly looked away and shrugged, fingering the rim of his soup bowl. "Nothing, Alice."

Ignoring Seaweed Head's glare, Alice huffed, and with arms akimbo, strutted to a seat far from either of them, which meant sitting next to loony Break. He didn't have a chance to steal her food however, when a servant scurried in and whispered something in his ear. The scarlet eye man simply hummed and waved the boy away, who looked at him as if miffed about something, then left.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Break, but was soon distracted when he snatched a mint off her plate. Alice slapped his hand and growled, "Who was that? What did that human tell you?"

Break smiled at the Chain and wiggled his pale eyebrows at her playfully. "Patience, little rabbit," he sighed, unwrapping the candy. "In due time, in due time!" Then he popped the sweet in his mouth, making a show of savoring it tauntingly while Alice crossed her arms and seethed silently.

"I'm not in the mood, you stupid clown," Alice spit angrily.

"I can tell, Miss," he replied. Break dabbed his mouth with a napkin and smiled. "But the question is, why? I mean, I certainly know you aren't a morning person, but my, my, we are twice as cranky as usual, now aren't we?" He winked at her. "Pray tell the poor, blind man, yes?"

But Alice was stubborn, and as she said before, not in the mood, so she continued to glower. Finally, sensing the heat of her gaze, Break sighed and clapped his hands for attention, quietly tsking at her for her rudeness, not that she would ever change it.

Once it settled down, which was quite fast since there was only Gil, Sharon, and Oz in the room, Break announced dramatically, "Now, little miss nosey hear decided to bare her teeth at me for information I was already going to give to you all, but I decided to humor her anyways." Cue sly look. "Anyways, Duke Barma has sent a messenger to inform me that there seems to be activity near the outskirts of Sablier. He just caught word of it from a witness, and the scene was very disturbing, so the Duke decided to send you all (except Lady Sharon, of course) to investigate. The Pandora officials will try their best to distract the Baskervilles, who have no doubt sensed the activity there, so I suggest you all better be going." Then he grinned like nothing happened and sat back down to nibble on a wedge of cheese cake topped with a strawberry and chocolate syrup.

Alice regretted asking.

…

…

…

Oz looked back at the mansion he was sure Lady Sharon and Break were sitting in, all cozy and smug (the last part was referenced for Break only), and sighed. He had no wish to go back to the dark, haunted ruins of Sablier, but his reluctance wouldn't get him anywhere. Besides, on the bright side, they might visit the orphanage near the hole, or even find one of Alice's memories. But they needed to be there quick, unless they wanted a rather unpleasant run in with the Baskervilles, who seemingly could not be killed without a lot of harsh, brutal force which is quite draining by the way, an example with Fang and Break.

Oz sighed again and forced himself not to slump in his seat, instead looking out the window of the sleek black carriage. They wore black cloaks, to not be mistaken for Baskervilles and hide the evidence of their wealth. How exhausting, to be afraid to don cloaks for fear of being mistaken for ancient murderers. Sigh.

A hard kick from Alice snapped him out of his glum musings.

"Stop sighing, manservant," Alice ordered impatiently, earning a sharp glare from the recently dozing Gilbert which she shrugged off. "You're making me nervous."

Oz couldn't help but laugh. Incredulously. "You? How are you nervous, Alice? Usually you're the one waiting to swing your scythe at a peculiar chain whenever you wish."

The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees in the carriage.

Alice looked out the window, staring at the sunlit crops near the road. "Not anymore."

Oz gulped and stared at his feet, immediately understanding. _He _had the power of the B-Rabbit now, not her. She must be feeling vulnerable, which in turn made her cross. Oz opened his mouth to reassure her he would protect her, then stopped in time. That would set her off on a furious rant about how she was the B-Rabbit and she could take care of herself just fine even without her power, though everyone knew it wasn't true.

Suddenly the drowsy Gil decided to make it worse. "Who cares," he slurred, eyelids drooping. "S'long as Oz is safe, it doesn't matter." Then he nodded off into sweet oblivion, and Oz was alone to watch red creep up Alice's neck to her scrunched up face.

"N-No!" Oz blurted, lunging for the mad brunette who swiveled in her plush seat to try and strangle the sleeping man next to her. With all his strength, Oz managed to pry her hands inches away from Gil's neck and forced Alice to look into his eyes.

"**Alice, stop."**

Alice froze and stared wide-eyed at the equally surprised Oz when he growled.

"Let-let go of me," Alice stuttered, wrenching her delicate wrists from Oz's crushing grip and rubbing them. Oz felt guilt slam his heart repeatedly and press down. Hard.

"Alice…Alice, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" He faltered when Alice's face took on a hurt look and she hurriedly turned away from him with a sniff.

"Leave me alone," she said quietly, still cradling her bruised wrists. "Just watch your precious best friend and make sure he doesn't drown in his drool."

Oz decided not to respond and instead choked down the tight lump in his throat. He needed to apologize to her, to hold her and say how much she meant to him, but at the same time he didn't want to. He had had this strange feeling ever since he actually talked to her in the Abyss, felt hat same need to protect and care for her, but he didn't know where it came from. This feeling made him uneasy, and he had a suspicion it had to do with Jack and Alice's memories from a hundred years ago.

He always had this fear since he found he was the reincarnation of Jack the hero that he would lose himself, that his soul would be pushed aside for Jack's when the time came. He didn't want that, and the nostalgic feeling in his chest wasn't helping the situation or the good thought process that he would turn out okay in the end.

The remainder of the ride was cloaked in silence, and when Gilbert stirred, Oz decided it was best not to tell him what he said to Alice, though he doubted the man remembered, for fear it would bring up trouble between the two dark haired companions and create an even greater rift between them. He was glad Alice didn't say anything either, but didn't get to delve in the satisfying fact when the carriage slowed to a halt at least a mile from the outskirts of Sablier.

Everyone piled out in silence, and once Gilbert thanked the nervous coachman and tipped him, they traveled farther away from safety in deeper into the twisted, dark territory of the shredded town of Sablier.

…

…

…

Gilbert eyed Alice and Oz, and wondered what happened between the two that made them both ever so quiet. Not that he minded that the stupid rabbit was keeping her mouth shut (though he was- grudgingly- becoming concerned for the usually rambunctious girl), but he was starting to become worried for Oz. He wasn't chatty Kathy, but he was certainly bright and cheerful, even in the face of danger as he spouted witty comments here and there.

So…what happened?

Or more importantly, what did Alice say?

Finally he had enough, and heaving a sigh he stepped in front of the shorter pair and swung around, drilling holes into a startled Alice.

"Okay, stupid rabbit, what did you do to Oz?" He demanded.

Alice balled her small hands into fist and snarled up at him. "What the hell are you talking about, Seaweed head?" She yelled up at him. Her purple eyes flashed in fury and Gil felt himself wind tighter than a coil, stomach clenching.

"Because whenever he's depressed, it's because of you, you stupid rabbit!"

They were nose to nose, shooting lightning from their eyes, when Oz intervened with a huff.

"Enough!" Oz said sharply. "What do you two think you will accomplish by turning against each other?! Huh?! Look, we need to get moving and find whatever it is the Duke sent us to find, so you can have your little spat back at the mansion afterwards. Besides, _Gil-" _Oz gave him a flat stare- "just because I'm a bit quiet doesn't mean Alice did anything to cause it. Got it?"

Gilbert dropped his eyes and muttered something inaudible, but Oz brushed it off. Ignoring the glares his friends exchanged, Oz jogged ahead. Passing by a shattered church, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, already hearing the two bicker softly to one another, so as not to upset him. Oz stifled a groan and moved on.

It was a rare occurrence when he became annoyed with Alice and Gilbert, and he usually enjoyed watching them spit insults at each other, but he hated it when they fought over him. It was frustrating, and now that he could protect himself, he thought the fights over his well-being would stop, but nooooo, no…now they fought over what would happen if the clock turned all the way, since he was basically a chain now. Would both he and Alice get sucked into the Abyss, just him, or (dare they wish it) nothing would happen…?

Yawn. It was tiring to mull such a stressing matter over, but it had to be done. And besides, at least they cared enough about him to argue over it. That still didn't change his feelings about the insults. He knew their words hurt one another when it came to the disagreements over his health, blaming Alice, blaming Gilbert. They had dark and painful pasts that didn't need to be brought up from the grave. What happened had happened, and now they just had to move on and deal with the present and future at hand.

_You learn from the past, and you don't ignore the lessons taught there, but that doesn't mean you have to dwell on it._

Oz shivered when a cold gust of wind sank beneath his cloak. Pulling it tighter around him, he glanced back and spotted Alice and Gilbert refusing to look at each other as they caught up to him. Well…at least they weren't fighting.

Right?

Oz rolled his eyes when he heard Alice mumble about stupid seaweed heads with their stupid hats and stupid guns. Gilbert replied by calling her something rude.

Scratch that.

Oz heard Alice grunt in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest in a haughty manner.

"Are you alright, now?" He asked sweetly.

Alice snorted and glared at the ground as if it blew a raspberry at her. "I'll be fine as soon as I cut out that boy's tongue!" She snapped, kicking the ground roughly. "How dare he, accuse me of such silly nonsense! I should- I sh-should…!"

She trailed off and suddenly stopped, purple eye, normally so full of fire and vigor, glazing over.

Oz's insides froze over and his breath caught in his lungs like steel hooks as he slowed to a stop. The glassy look coating her eyes made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

The air turned suddenly still, the wind dropping as if it hadn't existed. And even as Gilbert edged warily to his master's side, the dry dirt beneath his boots neither stirred nor crunched.

No noise.

Only silence.

Like the world was holding its breath.

Waiting. Waiting for something…

But what?

Alice, said Oz, but his voice was muted. Alice.

And then the world exploded.

The wind picked up with such swift ferocity it knocked Gil and Oz backwards. Any remaining windows and brick houses crumbled and exploded into tiny, glittering opaque pieces. Any clothing, even the ones on Oz and Gilbert's bodies (for Alice wasn't touched or affected in any way), ripped at the edges.

Oz skidded past a shocked Gilbert, shoulder digging in the dirt, and just when he thumped against a torn wall of what use to be a bakery, a long gold, sharp chain flew out of the shadowy darkness in a nearby alley and bulleted through Alice's back and out the other side.

The wind picked up the spray of blood and flicked it in Oz's face mockingly. His green eyes were wide and his face in still shock and horror as he watched Alice's limp body be yanked back into the alley.

He hadn't realized the scythe appeared in his hand until he was up and running to Alice, boots splashing in the mess of a puddle of blood where she had once been standing.

He didn't hear Gilbert calling his name as Oz shrieked, "LET HER GO, LET HER GO, GIVE HER BACK, GODDAMMIT!"

Oz raced after the chain, Alice's blood dripping down his face like red tears as he followed the scent of her, senses kicking into over drive from adrenaline. He was close, oh so close to transforming, and it was driving him mad.

"ALICE! ALICE!"

"Oz…Oz…Oz…" Gilbert's voice. The B-Rabbit in him dismissed it. His Precious Alice was more important.

Cold, colder than the wind before, swept through Oz, but he didn't shake, and even if he did it was out of fury. But he knew that cold, as well. Both he and the B-Rabbit raging inside of him. It was near, near them, near Gilbert, near Alice. It would drag them into the cold, empty darkness, into the endless expansion of a twisted prison, time passing at a different pace than on this world. Slow, dragging, torturous.

**The Abyss.**

The B-Rabbit snarled, but Oz didn't falter, especially when the realization of where that chain was dragging Alice to hit him. The B-Rabbit wasn't complaining when he grit his teeth and forced himself to go faster.

Gilbert was many alleys behind Oz, and he found himself grateful. Just in case, he didn't want Gil to be thrown in the Abyss too.

Soon Oz burst into the clearing, eyes locked on Alice's silent form as the gold chain dragged her closer and closer to the gaping black hole in the earth.

White hot fury seared Oz's veins and he roared, charging as he swung his scythe skillfully, blade whistling in the air. He sliced through the chain as easily as cutting paper and it retreated with a snap and a hiss. He knelt in human form over Alice's body, face speckled with her blood, the B-Rabbit towering over him with razor-sharp teeth bared in its wrath.

He should have looked behind him.

BAM!

Another gold chain whipped out from the shadows and slammed into his back, throwing him into the ground, B-Rabbit following his movements at the same time.

Oz knew it was over when he hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of him. His ribs groaned and cracked, tattered robe swaying over his side. He coughed blood and pushed himself to his elbows, watching helplessly as another chain snaked itself around Alice.

And pulled her into the Abyss.

Oz screamed and the B-Rabbit wailed, both digging their nails into the earth.

Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice…!

Oz bent double and sobbed. He felt rather than heard Gil run out of the alley and stand over him, asking over and over again, "Oz? Are you hurt, are you okay? Where's Alice? Is that blood?"

Oz turned his face up, face streaked red with tears and Alice's blood, as he whispered:

"**She's gone."**


	2. Chapter 2

**BLOODY BLACK DRAGON**

_**I do not own 'Pandora Hearts', sadly enough, and I have no idea why I am doing this new Fanfic when I am still writing others for Teen Titans. Sigh, oh well. So, here I am, writing for Pandora Hearts because my two friends decided to get me obsessed with it, and I hate being obsessed with something because it pulls me away from my school work and it feels like I'm always high (to be honest I don't know what being high feels like, so I'm just guessing) but feels rotten inside, like a sugar over load is slowly but surely rotting your teeth. Weird, huh? Ahem, anyways, I doubt most of you have read this little author's note, so I'll get straight to the story. I now welcome myself into the world of Pandora Heart's fanfiction.**_

_**Oh, also, this is set after Jack took over Oz's body and killed that crazy guy and Elliot died, and before Oz got his, Jack's, Alice's, and a bit of Lacie's memories and rejected Alice. Just saying, important!**_

_**Swaggin' Out,**_

_**Z**_

Chapter 2:

Alice felt as if she had been submerged in lava then suspended in water so cold it burned. Suspended, floating. She didn't know if she was breathing or not, but it was hard to concentrate when she felt so much agony.

Pain, pain, pain.

_God...just kill me..._

Please, please, please.

Was she drowning? She didn't think so. Was she dying? It felt like it.

_Kill me...please...end this_ **pain**.

Alice forced her eyes opened, and her eyeballs burned. She took in her surroundings sluggishly. Red, blood, she though, was slowly receding back into her lower chest area. She was still and silent, hung in the icy blue opaque water filled with black, twinkling stars. One of the black stars drifted to her elbow and sent a small shockwave through her body, but strangely enough, it didn't hurt.

Alice forced her head back slightly, squinting up. Was that light? A sun? Could she make it, swim through this cold fire and make it to the surface? But a pang in her heart told her that even if it hurt, even if she screamed forever in agony, she _had_ to get there. To the surface, to fresh air...

...to the light.

_Yes._

Alice clenched her teeth and moved. Her muscles quivered and clenched unwillingly, and she really did cry out this time. But nothing came out, and nothing came in. The silence was very disturbing, but that wouldn't shake her, though she was shocked to her very core. She would make it, she had to. To reach out, and swim to the light.

Alice forced herself not to yell this time when she shifted her whole body, pointing it upwards to the surface. She clamped her fingers together and pushed her arms down in a single motion. Her muscles were on fire now, and her bones groaned in protest, and she was sure she heard her blood even screaming in pain in the distance of the ringing of silence in her ears. She ignored it and pushed herself farther up again.

She lost sense of time and the meaning of pain. It became part of her, like she had been dealing with it her whole life and grew used to it. It felt like forever and a day, though somehow she had a numb kind of patience through it all. She was one stroke away from the surface. One. Stroke. Away.

_Almost there._

She pointed her arms up, fingers spread slightly this time as she stared in anticipation and curiosity for the light above the surface...and pushed up one last time.

She surfaced without a gasp or a blink of an eye, staring, staring in surprise at the rest of the surface. The lake was like oil and water, reflecting beautiful rainbow colors here and there, in random swirls. But said fluid only slid off her like water on feathers. Tiny white shards of light danced in the air above her dark head. A hexagonal, black marble tile stone was only a few feet away from her, and Alice immediately swam for it.

She heaved herself out of the queer liquid and stood slowly. She spun around and gazed into the vast darkness, oily liquid, and white lights. Nothing. She turned back around and froze. She hadn't seen_ her_ before.

It was like looking into a mirror, except the reflection in the mirror was pure and glowing and white. So graceful, just walking an inch above the black water with a small, almost sad, smile on her pretty white face. The only thing that was the same color as Alice was her purple eyes.

_"Hello, Alice," _said the Will of the Abyss. _"I've been waiting for you."_

...

...

...

Oz hadn't felt this empty, hollow, and cold in his life except when his father had announced it would have been better if he was never born.

But this hurt much, much more.

Alice...was gone.

He _failed_.

Oz squeezed his eyes shut and curled up in a small ball on his bed, ignoring the ache of his ribs. He thought he deserved this pain, as punishment for not running fast enough, for not trying as hard as he could, for not fighting harder, for not killing anything that dared come close to-

No! Stop!

He couldn't destroy everything that hurt her, or made her cry, because she wouldn't let him. Plus, he had a sour feeling that Jack was silently urging him on to destroy everything in his path, for Alice. Or was it for Jack himself? What was he after?!

Oz rolled on his back and opened his eyes to stare listlessly at the ceiling. His heart spasms and convulsed as he thought over how long Alice had been in the Abyss. Three days...but he knew how slow time was compared to this world. She could stay there for a few hours and it would be thirty years!

Oz shifted and groaned. His ribs burned like fire, but he relished the pain. He deserved it, _what a failure._

_You're not a failure._

He froze. "Jack...?"

A chuckle. _Yes. Hello, Oz, did you miss me? _

"Where were you," he demanded. His eyes stung, but he blinked hard and willed it away. "Why didn't you help me to save Alice? Do you...do you know how to get her back?"

Jack shimmered into existence in his head and Oz closed his eyes, allowing himself to be swallowed in the empty space. When he opened his eyes gain, he was kneeling in front of Jack, who's half-lidded bright green eyes were surprisingly warm and gentle, sympathetic. He wore a small, sad smile.

_I'm afraid not, Oz, _he replied with regret, pain clear on his face. _But if you and I know anything about her, Alice will find a way out. But be warned...if Alice had been forcefully dragged back into the Abyss, someone had planned for her to get close enough to the entrance of that grave. _

Oz's eyes went wide. "You mean...Duke Barma set us up?" Jack laughed.

_Or someone wanted him to see something strange. And of course he would call you up, and of course Alice would tag along because she is your Chain and you her Contractor. And finally, Alice was dragged into the Abyss. Tell me, Oz...who is the only person in existence that hates your precious Alice? _His voice dropped to a whisper on the last part and his eyes were intense, flaming green fire.

Suddenly, it all clicked. Of course..."The Will of the Abyss," Oz breathed.

Jack smiled.

...

...

...

Leo followed Vincent willingly. And he also sat willing in a chair as the gold-and-red eyed man stood behind him, scissors in hand.

He didn't move or speak as Vincent tested the sharpness of the twin blades with the tips of his finger. A small bead of blood blossomed and dribbled down to his knuckle. He licked it up with one lap of his tongue, smiling quietly in satisfaction before getting to work on Leo's bangs.

Leo forced himself not to hold his breath and lash out as Vincent clipped away. Soft black locks fell in slight curves in his lap. This hair...these bangs had been his cover, his security blanket, since a young age. Back then, he had been the old Leo, the one who read all day every day at the orphanage, consumed in his books, and sometimes his music. But that all changed when Elliot walked...no, barged, shoved, shouted, screamed his way into his life, giving him a chance to look at something else with new eyes. To cover himself farther with a thick pair of glasses.

But now...now he was the new Leo. The new Leo was a reincarnation of Glen Baskerville, the man who fought with his old friend and companion Jack Vessalius...

The man who ordered the execution of the people of Sablier.

No longer the shy, naïve boy, wrapped in his books and music, hiding behind glasses and bangs, with Elliot always by his side.

Now, Elliot was dead. And with his death was the death of the old Leo. And the birth of the new Leo.

_Snip._

The last threads of cover and security and the old Leo fell to the ground.

He turned to gaze at Vincent with eyes worthy of a new Leo, the reincarnation of Glen Baskerville. "Let's take a little walk in town tomorrow...I would like to meet an old friend."

...

...

...

Alice screamed and screamed as the Will continued to sear the mark along the middle of her back.

_"Now, now," _the Will shushed her tenderly, wiping sweat off the trembling girl's brow. "_I know it hurts, my dear, but you just have to bear the burden from now and forever." _She smiled so sweetly that anyone would have thought she was just an innocent girl.

But Alice knew better. And she hated, hated, _hated_ her.

Tears dangled dangerously at the corner of her purple eyes, and she shut her mouth with a snap of ivory. "I. Don't. Want. It." She ground out.

"_But...but I thought this was what you wanted." _The Will sounded confused. Alice blinked and squinted in pain at the glowing girl.

"W-what?" She whispered. Wanted what?

But then the Will smiled and giggled. "_Oh, you just don't remember what you want. But that's okay! I remember! This is my gift to you." _She giggled again, delighted.

Alice's breathing wavered in confusion as she rasped, but this time angrily, "I don't want any gift from you."

The Will furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused, and a bit irritated. "_Oh...I see." _She sounded cross. _"It's that Oz boy. He is so selfish! Trying to make you refuse gifts from your very own sister! That is so mean." _She was whining now. Then she brightened. "_I'm sure Jack will set him straight, when he takes full control of his body! Because that body doesn't really belong to Oz, you know," _she added.

Alice snarled. Sister? Jack taking over Oz's body? No! She wouldn't let it happen!

"You stay away from him, you witch," she spat. Her shoulders quivered in pain from the burn etched into her back, slowly seeping into her brain, as if trying to lull her into unconsciousness.

She tried to snarl, but it ended in a gasp when the Will pressed the burning mark deeper into her pale skin. She seemed to have ignored what Alice just said, for she began to hum the lullaby "Lacie" under her breath. "_I have the perfect solution for that, my dear sister," _she whispered. She pulled the red-hot metal brand off the skin, earning her a pained cry from Alice. She studied the mark for a moment, before nodding in satisfaction. Then she knelt down, placing herself on her stomach, before quickly flipping over with a laugh, right next to Alice. She continued to hold the metal brand in her hand, by her side, the shape of a sleek, sharp dragon softly glowing red.

She tilted her head and smiled sweetly, purple eyes alight with happiness as she looked at the panting, dozing Alice, who was lying limp on her stomach. Her eyes began to droop shut, just as the Will leaned in, her pale pink lips inches away from Alice's ear, as she whispered, "_I'll make you forget_ _**everything.**"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Close your eyes, my dear,_

_Close your eyes and only listen,_

_As you imagine only darkness without fear._

_Look into the darkness and reach high,_

_To hold my hand in yours,_

_As I sing this lullaby._

_Close your eyes, precious,_

_Close you eyes...and then,_

**_Forget._**

...

...

...

Alice opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw were the stars, twinkling in the inky night sky.

The first thing she heard were the whispers of the wind.

The first thing she felt was the cold, crunchy snow, seeping through her clothes.

The first thing she smelled was the fresh, crisp smell of winter.

The first thing she thought was:

_My name is Alice, and I am the Bloody Black Dragon._

**Yay, second chappy done! Oh, and if anyone of you feel like making a picture of one of the scenes I write in this fanfiction, I will host a competition for those who want to participate, and put up the winner's picture as the main picture and image of this fanfiction story. If you wish to participate, please Private Message me and email me your picture. And please, don't make it inappropriate. Thank you!**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**


	3. Chapter 3

**BLOODY BLACK DRAGON**

_**Oh, also, this is set after Jack took over Oz's body and killed that crazy guy and Elliot died, and before Oz got his, Jack's, Alice's, and a bit of Lacie's memories and rejected Alice. Just saying, important! No own Pandora Hearts or characters, just this plot!**_

_**Swaggin' Out,**_

_**Z**_

Chapter 3:

_Recap...previously on Bloody Black Dragon:_

Alice opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw were the stars, twinkling in the inky night sky.

The first thing she heard were the whispers of the wind.

The first thing she felt was the cold, crunchy snow, seeping through her clothes.

The first thing she smelled was the fresh, crisp smell of winter.

The first thing she thought:

_My name is __Alice, and I am the Bloody Black Dragon._

_..._

_..._

_..._

Leo looked out the window with cold gold eyes, sweeping the large lawn with a calculating gaze. His spine prickled eerily, and he couldn't help but be disturbed by the sudden sight of snow when winter was three months away. The sudden appearance and the feeling of foreboding accompanying it was enough to make him light a candle and wander downstairs after changing into warmer clothing. It was the middle of the night, the moon pure and beautiful, shining coldly above in an inky black sky filled with stars and a chilly breeze winding through what little greenery that wasn't covered in blankets of cold white or merely dead.

He didn't bother knocking on Vincent's door to tell him of this strange phenomenon, or say where he planned to go, as he passed his door. His boots made soft clunking sounds against the cool wood as he continued down the hall and eventually down the stairs, his boots now completely now noiseless in the lush carpeting of the floor on the first level of his mansion.

He opened the door, shivering when a blast of cold air suddenly swept in, chilling him to the very marrow of his bones. He shook it off with a quick shake of his head, ignoring the slowly melting bits of snow that came in with the wind. He stepped outside fully, leaving the door open a crack and walked down the covered stone path, boots now crunching quietly on the snow. He couldn't believe that it had only been two weeks since he last saw Oz, his emerald green eyes wide and filled with shock, pain, anger.

He didn't see his Chain around.

He wouldn't deny that he had been curious of where she went, and had innocently taunted Oz on her whereabouts, asking if she were napping defenseless and unexpecting some place nearby, or maybe she had gotten tired of him.

Oz's reaction was violent and bordering on completely _mad._

Gilbert- Vincent's brother, he reminded himself, nearly laughing out loud because they were both so different- had actually had to throw himself into his charge's path and drag him away a good few yards, kicking and screaming, spitting strings of curses to no end. It surprised Leo, this reaction, something so non-Oz like it was almost laughable.

Except that look. That look in his fiery green eyes that was brimming with rage and agony, turning him into something violent and dangerous, something even more dangerous than being the actual vessel for Jack Vessalius.

Leo feared it. Because it was based on something...something he probably never had, even if close to it, something that could turn someone raving mad if lost or forgotten or non-existent. Leo didn't know what it was, or how he stayed sane without it. Maybe since he never experienced it, he could stay perfectly oblivious and sane. Maybe, like a drug or the prospect of true freedom, you tasted it, and couldn't have enough of it, even if subconsciously, and you clung to it with everything you had. And when you lost it, you never forget such a beautiful, wonderful taste, and it drives you mad because you will never taste the actual thing again, only the memory. Maybe it was worse when you took it for granted then lost it, realized you took said thing for granted, and began to loath and hate yourself with every fiber of your being for losing it, no matter if it was your fault or somebody else's. It drove you insane, made you do things you would have never done when you didn't have it, and you loved the idea so much it hurt.

Yes. Leo feared it. And he caught a glimpse of it, in Oz's wild, green gaze, and knew it had something to do with that girl, his chain.

Alice.

But...what was it?

Leo quickened his pace when another cold wind sent tingling, icy pricks through his coat and drove themselves into his skin, reminding him why he was out here in the first place. He was slightly amazed at how long the miserable flame on his candle had lasted. He glanced at the sky, his breath coming out as puffs of soft white clouds. His lips twitched, remembering when he and Elliot had done this in their first winter together at Elliot's mansion, after arguing over something trivial, and eventually going outside to cool off and stare at the setting sun in silence. A few minutes later, Elliot had joined him without a sound and watched it as well, until the moon glowed in a sliver of silver glowing softly in the night. They had forgiven and forgotten, but neither would forget the memory.

At least, Leo didn't.

The smile wiped off his face in the next instant and he went back to business, looking around out of suspicion and the nagging feeling in his stomach. He wondered if what he felt with Elliot was similar to what Oz felt for Alice, that made him react so strongly. Had Leo really stayed sane after Elliot's brutal death, or did it seem that way, as if in reality he was slowly slipping with each piece of hate and anger he felt towards the golden haired boy with smiling green eyes he had once called friend.

No. He wasn't insane yet, or as insane as he thought he would be.

But Oz...he was getting worse, he was sure.

What happened to Alice that made him feel that way, that made him react so strangely? He wasn't quite sure, but he had a theory...now, if he could just remember what people called it...

The his eyes caught sight of something familiar sitting upright in the snow, a few yards away, and started in shock.

What...?

It was Alice.

She was sitting upright, head tilted back to stare at the sky with calm, almost sleepy purple eyes, framed with thick and long, black lashes, skin as white as the snow and glowing with an almost sliver light, something that came out of fairytales and ethereal goddesses in myths. A black brand of a sharply edged, pitch black dragon was etched- maybe burned, or branded, he couldn't tell from this distance, only that she was gorgeous- and clutched a black and silver silk sheet to her chest with one small hand, everything but her bare back hidden by the long, flowing cloth. Her hair was no longer a dark brown, but jet black with a silver sheen, streaming like the silk sheet she held tightly to her naked body down to her small waist.

Leo thought he was dreaming until she turned to him and set her piercing gaze on him.

He walked forward, locking eyes with her, and said without thinking, "Alice?"

He face turned into pure, innocent confusion for a moment, before it smoothed and she asked in reply, "Who are you?"

Leo nearly fell backwards in shock, reeling in surprise. She...she didn't recognize him? Did that mean she didn't recognize Oz, or Gilbert, or Vincent, or Duke Barma, Elliot, Shanon...Jack...Glen Baskerville..?

And then:

"Are you my contractor?"

Leo clenched his fist. Smiled.

"Yes. Yes you are, Alice. My dear Chain...will you make a contract with me?"

...

...

...

Oz woke up with the phantom pain to his torso from when he lost Alice to the gold chains, dragging her down into the Abyss.

Alice...

He rolled over and let his forearm rest across his eyes. He was done crying, because it would do nothing. But he wasn't done mourning. She would never see the light again, and he would never see his light again. Because she had been swallowed by the empty darkness below.

He could still see her face when she had been impaled, could still see the blood flying and dripping across his face, could feel his heart breaking as she was yanked down, down, down...could hear his wail and the Black Rabbit's wail mingling in a sad, agonizing symphony, and the horror on Gilbert's face.

It. Hurt.

He half-sighed, half-groaned, and turned over on his side, burying himself deeper under the layers of blankets and covers, ignoring the strange coldness in the air or the fact he was shaking from a feeling of pain and...apprehension?

Why did he feel this, the last feeling?

He sighed again and cursed softly under his breath, allowing his glazed, tired green eyes slide shut. It seemed he wouldn't sleep tonight.

Again.

...

...

...

Shanon, looking out the window, licked her lips before turning to her tea, struggling to pour it without spilling it with her shaky pale hand.

Her Chain was restless, and that in turn made her just as restless and scared. To be honest, she thought of herself as a strong, and perfectly capable woman in the matters of action, politics, and words. But when it came to battles, she wished she were physically stronger, because she knew she was completely defenseless as well as useless when it came to fight sword to sword, or hand to hand. Her Chain did all the work, but she couldn't rely on Equas forever. This was why she had agreed to take lessons in sword fighting with Break, starting tomorrow, and knew she should be in bed, getting a good night's rest, but...

But...

Why was she feeling so scared, as she looked out the window at the snow that shouldn't even be there. Why was she so, so...

...why did she feel like crying?

...

...

...

Break didn't need to have his other eye or to see again to know that something was wrong. He could almost feel the tension coiled tightly inside his Chain, Mad Hatter, which in turn made him tense, but he masked it by relaxing in bed, arms folded neatly over his covered stomach as he stared sightlessly at the arched cloth above his head from his king sized, elaborate bed. Ever since Alice had been dragged into the Abyss, everything changed. Oz was losing it, Gilbert wasn't sure how to feel when the girl who had threatened the life of his long time friend and master had disappeared when Oz was in the process of slipping deeper into depression, and Shanon wept occasionally in random burst.

He himself had grown fond of the fiery little rabbit, but deep down inside, he knew she wasn't gone forever.

After all...the Will of the Abyss was her beloved twin sister.

However...

...out of her strange, deranged love for their darker Alice, he was wary on the Will's decision making. It was easy for her to snap, going from sweet and happy, to cruel and innocently seductive, to murderously enraged. He had seen it before, and it nearly broke him out of the pure, raw terror he felt. Would she turn Alice into something else, into a monster? Would she keep her in the Abyss for the time being? Or would she-

"..."

Would she...no.

_No._

"..."

...would she?

Break closed his sightless, red eye.

_Yes. Yes she would._

...

...

...

Many miles away, staring out the window in his silk red robes, Duke Barma smiled as he mused thoughtfully to himself;

"I wonder if this will break them. Who will win this war now?"

And many miles in the mansion of the Baskervilles, Leo smiled as he tasted the lingering bits of Alice's blood.

The contract was done...

...and the war had silently escalated.

**Yay, third chappy done! Oh, and if anyone of you feel like making a picture of one of the scenes I write in this fanfiction, I will host a competition for those who want to participate, and put up the winner's picture as the main picture and image of this fanfiction story. If you wish to participate, please Private Message me and post your picture on devianart...I think that's what it's called...or anywhere I can access it, and I'll put it up and announce the winner! And please, don't make it inappropriate. Thank you! And sorry this chapter is sooooo short! I'll work on making the others longer!**

**Swaggin' Out,**

**Z**


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